Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has confirmed that the club will seek to sign a replacement for their teen star Gavi in the January transfer window.
The 19-year-old suffered a complete tear of his ACL during Spain’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia, and will miss the rest of the campaign.
LaLiga rules allow the Catalan giants to bring in a replacement for up to 80% of the value of Gavi’s wages, and ahead of their league trip to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, Xavi confirmed that it was something he had discussed with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco.
Xavi said: ‘Substituting Gavi? There is nothing to announce. We will speak with Deco to see what we can do.”
‘I am in contact with the president and with Deco on a daily basis. We will announce what we deem appropriate. They know my position and I know theirs and from there, it is about finding a consensus.
Barcelona manager Xavi reveals the club are looking to bring in a Gavi replacement in January
The 19-year-old pulled up with a complete ACL tear during Spain’s qualifier against Georgia
‘Evidently we are losing a footballer for the whole season, and we will see what we can do and we will see if we can bring someone in.’
However, he would not be moved on the possible options being touted, including moving 18-year-old Vitor Roque’s move to Barcelona forward to January, rather than in the summer of 2024.
‘This is not the time to talk about the market. We have Vitor Roque and we are looking at others’, Xavi said.
‘We have [upcoming fixtures] Rayo, Porto and Atletico. It makes no sense to talk about this. If there is news, we will announce it to you.’
Whilst there is no confirmation on the exact length of Gavi’s exit, it is likely that the teen could be ruled out for the remainder of the season, and is a doubt for both the European Championships and Olympics next summer.
As per Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan giants are believed to be furious at Spain’s decision to include Gavi in the line-up for the Georgia match despite qualification for Euro 2024 already secured.
It is thought Barcelona will look to a loan move to cover the long-term absence of Gavi
Barcelona’s squad consoled Gavi after the Spanish midfielder…